Women's Basketball

Tech takes over top spot in OVC with 14-point win over SEMO

Dec 21, 2010

Tech alone in first place in OVC with 3-0 league
mark

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Krystal Stirrup was 15 days old the
last time the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team roared
out to an 8-2 start. Nobody else on this year’s Golden Eagle
roster was even born yet.

That puts into perspective just what the current squad has
accomplished in the first month of the season, following a 62-48
victory over Southeast Missouri Tuesday night in Eblen Center.

Tech’s win, coupled with a three-point loss by Morehead
State at Austin Peay Tuesday night, puts the Golden Eagles alone in
first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 3-0 mark.

This time it was a balanced attack and tenacious work on the
boards that led to the win. Tech held a 48-31 margin in rebounds,
including 22 on the offensive glass. SEMO was held to just five
offensive rebounds. It led to a 21-1 difference for Tech in
second-chance points.

Tech’s fourth win in a row upped its record to 8-2 overall
and 3-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The last time Tech opened
with that record was in the 1989-90 season.

For the second consecutive game, juniors Tacarra Hayes and
Brittany Darling led the way, each coming within one rebound of
notching double-doubles. Hayes had 13 points and nine rebounds, and
also dished out four assists. Darling added 13 points and nine
rebounds, and blocked two shots.

Freshman Molly Heady (photo above) and junior Rachel Glidden
also scored in double figures for Tech to provide a balanced
attack. Heady finished with 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting while
Glidden had 10 points. Point guard Briana Jordan had four points
and four steals.

Katie Norman led the Redhawks in scoring, the lone player to hit
double figures with 17 points, also hitting 6-for-9 from the field.
Norman added six rebounds and four assists. Karley Evans and
Brittany Harrell each scored nine.

It was a satisfying victory for Tech, which had dropped six of the
last seven to the Redhawks including two of the last three in Eblen
Center.

Despite 33 percent shooting in the first half, the Golden Eagles
were able to forge a sic-point lead at the intermission on the
strength of a 7-0 run midway through the period. After the lead
changed hands twice and was tied twice in the opening minutes, Tech
grabbed the lead on a free throw by Hayes and a layup by Molly
Heady.

Up one, 12-11, with 10:13 remaining, Rachel Glidden poured through
a 3-pointer and followed with a jumper, making it a six-point TTU
margin. Darling’s layup with 5:58 left made it 19-11 for
Tech’s largest lead of the half.

Southeast Missouri cut it to three after a 3-pointer by Bailie
Roberts and a jumper by Katie Norman, but couldn’t get any
closer. SEMO was within three points three more times, before Molly
Heady’s 3-pointer with four seconds left pushed the cushion
back to six at the break.

The Redhawks chipped the difference down to two points to get the
second half underway on a 3-pointer by Evans to make it 31-29.

Tech scored the next 12 points, including four each from Hayes and
Heady, and suddenly the lead was 43-29 with 10:08 to go. The Golden
Eagles continued to add to their advantage, puffing the lead to as
many as 19 points at 53-34 with just under five minutes left.

Next on the agenda for Messer’s squad is a brief holiday
break, followed by two non-conference games. Tech visits Central
Florida on Wednesday, Dec. 29, for a 3:30 (CT) p.m. contest against
the Knights. The Golden Eagles are back in Eblen Center on Sunday,
Jan. 2, to host St. Louis at 2 p.m. in the first game of an
afternoon doubleheader.